THE FIRST WORD: American coach Mike Brennan didn't know what to expect in his first year with a program that finished 10-20 the previous season and was picked to finish last in the Patriot League in 2013-14.

"You just knew he was special," said Brennan, the eventual Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2014. "He's the hardest worker in practice, and it's contagious for the other guys. He understands the game — how to make his teammates better and play with maturity."

Behind its floor general and a smothering defense (allowed 59 points a game to rank seventh nationally), American won 11 in a row en route to a second-place finish in Patriot League play before the Eagles upended top-seeded Boston in the conference tournament in which Gardner was the MVP — the program's first NCAA tournament bid in five years.

“Last year we showed it doesn't matter what the preseason rankings say. Our league is very competitive. We won 11 in a row, but they were all two-point games.”

American coach Mike Brennan

Gardner returns as the focal point of Brennan's Princeton offense, but American will have to find ways to replace perhaps its most valuable player in versatile 6-10 versatile center Tony Wroblicky. There will be parity and plenty of contenders again in the Patriot League, but it's hard to bet against American when Gardner's orchestrating the offense and ballhawking on defense. The Eagles got steamrolled (a 40-point blowout) by eventual Final Four team Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament so it'll be vital for this veteran team to master controlling pace and tempo, while finding a way to replicate its 50% shooting (seventh nationally) in a methodical offense.

2013-14 IN REVIEW: 20-13 overall, 13-5 in Patriot League (second place), won Patriot League Tournament, lost in second round of NCAA tournament to Wisconsin.

PATH TO THE DANCE: Patriot League auto-bid. Bucknell, Lafayette and Army will be contenders.

PROJECTED TOURNEY SEED: No. 14 seed.

American's Jesse Reed returns as the leading scorer for the Eagles.(Photo: Greg Bartram, USA TODAY Sports)

STAR WATCH: Gardner (11.3 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.8 rpg) will lead the offense once again. He has the ball in his hands often and is great at creating for teammates, mainly 6-5 guard Jesse Reed (13.8 ppg), who returns as the leading scorer. Reed was a highly accurate three-point marksman (47%), and he'll need to shoot well again for American to win.

X-FACTOR: Kevin Panzer, a transfer from Nevada, could be a difference-maker in the Eagles' frontcourt. The 6-9 forward has played three college seasons and started 30 games for the Wolf Pack as a junior. Expect Panzer and George Washington transfer Jonathan Davis to fill voids in the paint.

TEAM STRENGTH/WEAKNESS: Depth will certainly be a strength, especially with the addition of a talented freshman class. John Schoof (11.4 ppg) bolsters the backcourt as a 6-5 guard that can score, and Kyle Kager (5.8 ppg) returns as a starter and utility man who does the little things. One weakness is there isn't a go-to type of alpha-dog player to complement Gardner. That was apparent against Wisconsin in the tournament. Finding ways to score outside of backdoor cuts will be a must against major programs. That and replacing Wroblicky will be harder than just making up for his productivity.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: American took care of business against top-seeded Boston University to win the Patriot League title and advance to the NCAAs.

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TWEET THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES: Alumnus David Aldridge is a big supporter of the program and makes to several games each season (home and away).